Allergy Relief Expert

A dust mite allergy is actually a hyper-sensitivity reaction to proteins found in the feces of dust mites. These proteins may attack the respiratory airways causing mild to severe allergic reactions and even asthma. House dust mites are found most homes around the world.

Microscopic Dust Mites

Dust mites are microscopic organisms that thrive in warm and humid environments such as furniture and bedding materials. Their favorite food is human skin flakes and animal dander. Since human actually shed thousand of skin flakes everyday and dogs, cats and other household pets shed dander daily, dust mites never run out of food.

As we inhale large quantities of dust mite protein allergens, the body produces antibodies in the form of a chemical compound known as histamine. Histamine is what causes an allergic reaction and can lead to swelling and irritation of the upper respiratory passages. It is believed that dust mites allergies are one of the primary causes of childhood asthma symptoms and the predisposition for this allergy is often hereditary.

Unlike pollen, dust mites are present all year round causing constant allergic reactions. The excretion from the mites dries out and can become airborne when someone walks over a rug, sits down in a chair or shakes the bed clothes, creating immediate symptoms in allergic people.

Controlling Dust Mites

The best tool controlling these microscopic dust mites is the HEPA (High Efficient Particle Air) vacuum. The certified HEPA vacuum cleaner (or central vacuum system) is the best dust, skin flakes and dust mite removing device over which you have total control. You decide what surfaces you vacuum and when. Any other vacuum filter is potentially a vacuum polluter and only recycles the microscopic dust which can be responsible for many respiratory allergies and asthma.

About the author:
The Sick House Center is a resource and information center about indoor air pollution and other related subjects. Read about Indoor Allergies Prevention at the Sick House Center.

We are not alone

I think I’m allergic to wool. What are allergic reactions to wool and what should I expect?

Best Answer:

Allergy doctors agree that a true wool allergy is rare. However, persons who are “allergic to wool”  will attest that they experience allergic reactions when they come in contact with wool.

Persons who have a wool allergy which try on a sweater for example state that the scratchy itch is so immediate and so miserable; they must take it off immediately!

Is experiencing the itch a wool allergy? Most allergy doctor believe that some people are more prone to experience irritation from wool, but that doesn’t always mean it is a true allergic response. However for people with atopic dermatitis or eczema, those same doctors will recommend the avoidance of wool, because of it’s irritating tendency.

Other Wool  Allergies

Lanolin which can be found in many personal care products is actually wool alcohol, extracted from wool. Many people with known wool allergies will also have a tendency towards any contact with lanolin.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology states that a chronic allergy sufferer will experience respiratory allergies from wearing wool. However, their research indicates that this is not from the wool itself but rather from other allergens in or in the wool.

Wool Allergy Relief

Unfortunately, there are no silver bullets to protect you from a wool allergy other than avoidance. In the old days, people wore wool because they beleived it kept them warmer, but there are many synthetic alternatives to wool that do not show to cause allergic reactions.

About the author:

Dana Jacobs is a dress designer in New York City.

KDTV 207 – Yarn for People with Wool Allergies

Allergies relating to foam has grown over the past 50 plus years as this soft, flexible material has found it’s way into furniture and bedding.

Is Foam an Allergen?

The primary reason why foam may be an allergen is because of off-gassing of chemicals used in the manufacturing process. Foam products may emit volatile organic compounds (VOC) vapors from chemicals used during their manufacture.

Most foam products are oil-based and may contain PolyBrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE) which are widely used as a flame retardant. PBDE’s have already been banned in Europe and future “to be banned” list in a few states in the United States. California banned the sale of  furniture and bedding products containing PBDE’s in 2008.

PBDE’s are believed to accumulate in human body tissue and may pose future health issues.  This has lead to concerns they might be carcinogenic.

Organic or natural latex mattresses are recommended for persons wishing to avoid products which contain PBDE’s.

About the author:

John Davis Smith owns and operates a bedding store in Los Angeles California which specializes in hypoallergenic bedding products.

Before You Buy a Bed Pillow

There has been much confusion over what causes allergies in the home for many years. Health-care practitioners may tell their patients that it is the outdoor pollutants which really cause their allergies whereas in-home air purifier manufacturers may claim just the opposite.

The fact of the matter is both outdoor and indoor pollutants can cause allergy symptoms. However, indoor pollutants have been shown to actually present a greater problem to long-term allergy sufferers. To start with, people spend more time indoors than out and the indoor pollutants are actually smaller than their outdoor counterparts. Indoor pollutants can actually split up and become smaller particles which are more likely to be breathed deeply into the lung and nasal cavities. In effect, the smaller the particle, the greater likelihood of that particle causing an allergic reaction.

Leading Causes of Environmental Allergies

Small sub-micron particles ranging from household dust to dust-mite feces are a leading cause of environmental allergies. Small particles of mold, pollen and cat dander can also aggravate allergy symptoms in children and adults. Even chemicals found in the following common household products have all shown to cause upper respiratory illness symptoms in children which have chronic allergies:

• Adhesives
• Air fresheners
• Carpeting
• Cigarette smoke
• Cosmetics
• Drapes
• Dyes
• Floor finishes
• Furniture polishes
• Household cleaners
• Paint

Mold Allergy Symptoms and Causes

Many people believe that mold growth which is visual to the human eye is the only mold which can cause allergy symptoms. However, small mold particles are responsible for over 90% of mold allergy symptoms. Mold particles are everywhere in the outdoor and indoor environment. It is the combination of mold particle size to the quantity found in a cubic foot of indoor air which most aggravates allergies. Each cubic foot of indoor air in a home or building can contain millions of particles. These indoor particles are commonly measured in microns, a metric unit of measure. There are 25,400 microns in one inch. Approximately 98-99% of all particles by count of indoor air are in the sub-micron size range of 10 microns or less in size. These sub-micron particles are known as “respirable” and are invisible to the naked eye. The average adult may breathe in as much as 16,000 quarts of air whereas children under the age of 12 can breathe in as much as 10,000 quarts. Each quart of air breathed in contains some 70,000 visible and invisible particles. That’s potentially a billion particles per day taken in by our respiratory system.

Individuals who are hypersensitive or have a predisposed reaction to these sub-micron particles may have an acute allergic reaction. These allergy-causing airborne particles which remain in the home environment for extended periods of time are the primary cause of chronic allergy symptoms in children and adults.

Allergy Induced Asthma

Allergy induced asthma is the term used primarily by health care practitioners to describe persons which are at a higher risk of developing asthma because of their chronic allergic disposition. This is because the inflammatory and sensitization responses of allergy and asthma sufferers are quite similar. Family history usually plays a role in diagnosing allergy induced asthma.

The good news is that the indoor home environment can be made a haven for all allergy and asthma sufferers by implementing the proper technology combined with proper knowledge. In today’s world of technological advances, there is no reason for a child or adult to suffer with allergies while at home.

Related Post: Dust Mite Allergy.

About the author:
The Sick House Center is a resource and information site about indoor air pollution and other related issues. Read their Indoor Pollutant Fact Sheet here.

House Dusting : Controlling Dust Mites

Indoor air pollutants are a major cause of allergic symptoms among allergy sufferers. Not only that, but these irritants can have severe health consequence. Unhealthy levels of pollutants can lead to a variety of health problems, including respiratory problems and asthma.

Studies have shown that the indoor air quality can be up to five times more harmful to your health than the air found outdoors. Given that many people spend about 90% of their time indoors, this means that most of us are extremely vulnerable to these poor conditions. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that indoor air pollution is one of the top five most urgent environmental risks to the public.

Several studies have shown the home carpets that contains the second highest concentration of allergens in the home. Vacuuming removes only a small part of these irritants. Then, What can you do to help protect themselves from these harmful conditions in their own home? Regular carpet cleaning is the only way to significantly decrease the amount of dust mites, pollen, mold spores, fungi, pet dander and other irritants in your carpet.

Business professional carpet cleaning using multiple methods to clean the floor. While dry cleaning is the safest method when it comes to reducing allergens in your carpet is also one of the least effective. The hot water extraction, more commonly known as steam cleaning is the most effective way to remove pollutants and allergens from carpets. However, work, poor or inadequate can leave behind wet or damp carpets, which provide ideal conditions for mold, fungi, bacteria and other irritants to grow and accumulate.

For this reason it is imperative that you choose a qualified carpet cleaning service with experience to carry out routine disinfection of their flats house. Quality companies must take all necessary steps to ensure your carpets are completely dry and free of moisture after the process is complete. Many companies use industrial fans to help dry the carpet and water uptake depth. Proper extraction methods are very efficient hot water to make your home a healthier place to live for the removal of dust, pollen, germs, bacteria and other allergens. If you or someone in your family suffers from allergies, be sure to find a quality service to perform routine cleaning of the carpets of his house, which should be done every 6-12 months.

Mr. Jason Oliver is a marketing agent of Absolute Carpet Care, a carpet cleaning company which provides services throughout the Northern Virginia and Washington DC areas.

ust Mites, Allergies and Carpet Cleaning

Is anyone else allergic to dust?

I moved to Dubai from Canada a few years ago, I developed allergies to dust after living in Dubai 1 year, I returned to Canada for vacation for 3 months and has yet to experience an allergic reaction, and when I started sneezing in Dubai again. Canada my home is very clean im not sure has a lot of dust, but not yet i react to what could be the reason for the mites dust could in part of the world is different from another.

House dust is generally not an allergen. However, dust mites or specifically, its waste and decomposing bodies, the introduction of proteins to which many people are allergic. A large majority of household dust is actually human skin shed. Dust mites feed on the dead skin. Moisture levels in Dubai are very high and higher humidity causes mold and mildew fungi in such things as leaves, straw, dried grass and other vegetation that thrives on moisture. Mold spore count therefore becomes very high, the problems that cause allergic reactions in humans that are sensitive to mold. It could be mold spores that are sensitive to both dust mites.

Related Post: Dust Mite Allergy.

Source: Yahoo Answers

Reducing Allergies at Home : Reducing Allergies: Dust Mites in Curtains